


Love's Been A Long Time Coming

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Background Relationships, F/M, First Dance, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Humor, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Imagine your OTP, Prom, Relationship(s), Romance, Romantic Fluff, Secret Crush, Sensuality, Teenagers, my babies are just too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-23 10:24:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8324239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Steve and Natasha have had feelings for each other for a while, but out of fear of rejection, they kept it quiet. Tonight is a different story, because both decide that it's high time their secrets came out.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I've been away for a bit, guys. Sometimes, you get sidetracked by stuff, you know? Here's a new fic to make up for my absence.❤️

* * *

 

 

 

   
Steve stood in front of his mirror and breathed out a heavy sigh. "Are you sure I don't look stupid in this?"

  
   
"Steve, I have never lied to you, and I'm not gonna stop now. You look good in that tux. Hell, if I were a girl, I'd make a pass at you." Bucky smirked at his best friend as the blond turned a deep shade of red.  
 

  
"C'mon, Bucky. Be serious! This is my first prom. I have to look presentable."

  
   
"Presentable? God, man. You're going to a little insignificant high school dance, not a job interview at Wall Street. Trust me, in ten years, you'll look back on this night and regret it just like the rest of us."

  
   
Steve straightened his tuxedo for the fifth time before turning around to smile at his friend. "Oh, not me. After four years of teasing and bullying, I'm through with regrets and feeling sorry for myself. Tonight, I'm going to ask Natasha Romanoff for a dance." Confidence surged in his tone and even Bucky couldn't help the grin from spreading on his lips.

  
   
The brunette pushed himself off Steve's bed and clapped him on the back encouragingly. "Alright, Steve! You've finally grown a pair of balls! I'm so proud of you, punk."

 

The blonde boy scowled and shook off his friend, a light blush present on his cheeks. "Shut up, jerk!"

 

Even though Bucky enjoyed teasing Steve, he was very proud of him for taking a chance at being bold. It wasn't every day that he saw his friend was so assured and determined about a girl. For the most part, he never even talked to girls. Then again, Natasha Romanoff was no ordinary girl.

 

She was a young lady who fascinated Steve ever since he first saw her in the Sugar Plum Fairy in the school play at ten years old. Natasha was a ballet dancer and she aspired to be a professional prima ballerina before she was twenty-five.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Once Steve was old enough, he began to paint the backdrops for the school plays. Since he always had a talent for painting and drawing, his skills were always put to good use in the drama club.

 

So was Natasha's. She was such a phenomenal dancer that every time their school held a production of some kind, she was always in it. Annie, Phantom of the Opera, Kiss Me Kate, Calamity Jane, Brigadoon, etc. If there was dancing in it, she always had a part. The drama teacher, Ms. Carter, was a former professional dancer and she did her best to find a way to put Natasha in each of the performances. She was just that good.

 

Both Steve and Natasha frequented the drama club a lot and the school theatre, but they they never actually had a conversation. Just a handful of curious glances from time to time when they passed each other as they went about their work.

 

Steve saw Natasha dance more than anyone alive, though. Since he painted the backdrops, he got to see glimpses of her practicing her dance moves and positions for whatever production they were planning.

 

For months, he watched her and was amazed by what he saw. She knew how to take intricate parts of a dance and make it look effortless. Her legs, graceful and lithe like a gazelle in the wild. Every twist and turn she made was detailed and honest. It was as if her body was speaking a language all its own when she moved. She never ceased to be focused on what she was doing and she thrust herself into her routine like a professional.

 

Simply put, Natasha was breathtaking and Steve had found himself getting a serious crush on the girl and he didn't even know her! He had told Bucky of his feelings for the girl and was encouraged to go talk to her and introduce himself, but every time Steve tried, he always managed to talk himself out of it. Natasha just seemed like a girl who far beyond his reach.

 

Being a backdrop painter for the drama club meant that some days, he stayed after school to ensure that the paintings would look just right. He was a stickler for getting the backdrops correctly because the aesthetics could throw off the entire production if one wasn't careful.

 

During these quiet times, Natasha too, would also come to the school and practice her parts of the play on the stage. Steve was always backstage when she did this, usually watching her with awe, but never alerting her to his presence so as not to disturb her. Then, near the end of freshman year, she caught him looking at her from behind the curtain.

 

"Oh! I'm sorry! I'm not creeping on you or anything, I swear! I was just working on the backdrops!" He'd been terribly embarrassed at being caught by her and started babbling to explain himself. It wouldn't bode well for him if she started a rumor that he was a peeping tom.

 

There was no way she ever would have started a rumor about him, but Steve didn't really know her and he definitely didn't want to take any chances. He'd been a punching bag plenty of times in his life and in this life, he learned that if a popular girl thought you were scamming on her, it was grounds for getting your ass kicked by one of her big, buff football friends. Although. she didn't hang out with the football team, so he really didn't have anything to worry about.  
 

  
Natasha had held her hands up with an amused smile on her face and shook her head. "No, no. You're fine. Steve? It's Steve, isn't it?"

 

He nodded.

 

"I'm Natasha, or you can call me Nat if you want. I'm fine with either." She stepped forward to shake his hand and he took it.

 

"I know who you are," he replied softly. "You were great in Beauty and the Beast last month."

 

The redhead blushed and fingered the hem of her shirt shyly. "Oh, thank you. It was nothing, though. I don't have a great voice or anything. Just kind of average."

 

"Well, it may be average to you, but I thought you were more down to earth as Belle than the last girls who played her. You know, Ms. Carter's niece, Sharon? She has nothing on you. Her voice has always been so high pitched, that it's like nails on chalkboard, but your Belle was raw and full of emotion. More musicals should be like that."

 

Perhaps one might think that Steve was kissing up to the girl in an attempt to win her over with his charming manner of speaking. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Steve always made it a habit to speak truthfully about how he felt. His own mother had taught him that lies were unbecoming in a man just as much as they were in a woman, so he learned to be honest when he felt it was necessary.

 

Natasha was not used to hearing such kind compliments from people. Of course, they always bombarded her with flowery speech - particularly lascivious males and envious females, but no one had ever been honest sans grandiose when complimenting her the way Steve just had. She could sense the honesty and even see it written on his face when he spoke. There was no doubt about it. He was a unique young man.

 

He piqued her interest and, in the interest of getting to know him, she said, "If you want to watch me, you're welcome to. I hate practicing without anyone to talk to and I could use the company. That is, unless you'd rather not..."

 

Hell, no. She offered, so he was going to take it.

 

"I don't mind. I guess we both don't like being alone, then." He smiled back at her and stepped through the curtain.

 

She smiled a little too widely and stretched her leg out above her head. After a few seconds, the muscles screamed for release and Natasha had realized hat she had danced a bit too much. "Hey. Um, actually, I need to rest for a bit, but you can still work on your backdrops. I won't disturb you."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yeah. Plus, I've never seen a backdrop being painted before, so I want to see you in action, if that's okay."

 

Steve grinned and held up his hand. He went behind the curtain and pulled a lever which lifted the stage curtain up in the air and revealed the backstage. Natasha gasped when she saw how many beautiful backdrops there were. Lovely mountains painted in white and ice blue, forests of deep greens and emeralds as dark as her eyes.

 

The paintings were breathtaking and Natasha couldn't help her utter astonishment when she looked at them. "These are amazing! I've never seen anything so lifelike before, at least, not up close!"

 

A rush of pride swelled in Steve's stomach and he stepped closer to her. There weren't many people who paid attention to the backdrops in the school performances. It was always the actors and actresses who got peoples' notice first and usually, foremost as well. So the fact that Natasha liked Steve's artistry was a wonderful surprise.

 

Feeling shy and unsure how to handle such praise, he replied, "Well, they really aren't anything special. I've done the backdrops for a year now, so it's just business as usual."

 

"Ha! Well, of course you'd say that. You're so experienced, you could probably do these in your sleep." She chuckled and put her hands on her hips, smiling at the paintings and then, at him. "Seriously. Don't sell yourself short, Steve. If you want to paint, paint and take **pride** in what you do. That's how your best work comes out. Try to find something you love about your paintings every time you start one. That makes it worth something to you."

 

Steve had been shocked by the passion in her words. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. He absently wondered if Natasha was always this much of a motivator.

 

She chuckled and shook her head. "No, not really. I guess the inner motivator just jumped out of me when I saw these backdrops."

 

Oh. He said that out loud? Strange that he didn't notice it, but he felt a rush of happiness run through him as Natasha looked over his painting with an almost reverence. Hoping that he wasn't being cocky, he said, "I'm good at drawing, too."

 

The redhead looked up at him, beaming. "No way. Really?"

 

"Yeah. I do portraits for commissions sometimes. Helped me buy my car this year. I have a few in my backpack if you'd like to look at them."

 

She clapped her hands together and jumped a little in excitement. "I'd love that, Steve!"

 

And thus, their friendship was born. Steve was always drawing things and every time he did, Natasha wanted to see it. No matter if he thought it was bad or good, she would always encourage him and praise him on such good work.

 

In return, she practiced her dancing in front of him, feeling confident and less stressed with his presence. Often times, Steve would draw Natasha as she danced across the stage and he would be amazed at the beauty of her movements.

 

They had rapidly become best friends - or kindred spirits, as Natasha was fond of saying; she loved Anne of Green Gables - to the point that if they weren't together, people would wonder if something was wrong. Simply put, there were sparks between them, but neither did anything about it.

 

Their friends knew, of course. After Steve and Natasha became friends, his friends adopted her into their group. Since Natasha was a bit of a loner and usually was by herself, she had happily welcomed them into her life.

 

As Steve bEgan to fall for her, he found that it was impossible to hide anything from Bucky - he was his best friend, after all. Wanda and Clint picked up on the little looks Steve would give Natasha when he thought no one was looking. Sam and Maria had started a bet on how long it would take for Steve to tell Natasha how he felt about her. Even Ms. Carter, the drama teacher, picked up on it. 

 

 **Everyone** knew, except Natasha. This, in itself, was funny, considering that she had a secret crush on Steve as well. She was just better at hiding it. Inwardly, Natasha had realized something changed when she started eagerly anticipating Steve's appearances. Her heart would give a little jump whenever their eyes locked on each other and shivers ran down her spine every time he hugged her.

 

Seeing him every day at school became such a blessing for her, that when the day was over and everyone headed out to go home, Natasha would get those angsty _'parting is such sweet sorrow'_ feelings. The girl had it bad.

 

Steve didn't know it, but Natasha was planning on telling him how she felt that very night. She found that it was impossible to keep her feelings hidden from him any longer and decided that tonight would be the night for all to be revealed.

 

 

* * *

  

 

At the dance, Steve was sweating. Bucky noticed and nudged him. "Hey, it's not gonna do you any good to get sweat all over her hand when you ask her to dance, you know."

 

"Shut up, Bucky! I'm not going to sweat all over her."

 

Sam munched on a Bagel Bite. "You know what I don't get? Why you didn't just pick her up from her house? I mean, you live a couple of blocks away from each other."

 

"You probably didn't want to give away the fact that you've got the hots for her, am I right?" Clint asked Steve with a knowing grin.

 

The blond looked away as his cheeks grew red. "No. That's not it. I just...I want to be surprised when she comes to the gym."

 

"Well, I think you're gonna be pleasantly surprised. She's here now." Sam nodded towards the double doors.

 

Sure enough, Natasha had just walked in with Maria and Wanda by her side. All three girls looked lovely, but Natasha was the only one Steve had eyes for. As they came closer, he realized that Natasha was wearing a green halter dress with a slit down the side. It was quite form fitting and made her look like someone who was in her twenties.

 

Steve gulped, beginning to wonder if he made a mistake wearing his blue suit. He'd look like an idiot next to her. 

 

Bucky noticed how nervous his friend was and put his arm around him to reassure him. "Hey, you look fine, Steve. You may clash a bit color-wise, but I'm pretty sure that Natasha doesn't care. She's a classy woman. Don't worry about it." Then Bucky and Sam got up to greet their girlfriends and led them out on the dance floor.

 

Clint smirked and patted Steve's back. "Go get 'er, Tiger. I think I see a couple of kids trying to spike the punch. Every year, it's always the same." He shook his head and walked over to the refreshments table. Clint may have been a student at this prom, too, but he also volunteered to chaperone the event as well. Since his girlfriend Laura was out of town, visiting her relatives, this would be another way for Clint to pass the time.

 

Steve got out of his seat and went over to Natasha. Now that he was up close to her, he saw that she was also wearing a beautiful pearl necklace and a couple of beaded pins that helped keep her red hair piled atop her head in a curly and cute style.

 

The sandals she wore had no heel, probably so she and Steve would be the same height while they danced. He remembered how she told him how awkward it was to dance with a guy who was shorter than her while wearing heels. Inwardly, he thanked her for being so thoughtful.

 

"Wow. You look beautiful, Nat." He smiled at her, giving her an approving once over.

 

The redhead blushed a little and ran a hand on her dress. "Thank you, Steve. You look great, too. I told you that blue was your best color. You look very handsome."

 

"Do you want to dance or...?" He let his sentence trail off, so she could interject if she wished.

 

"While am I eager to see how good your dancing has gotten, I don't want to dance just yet. I'm craving some food right now." She nodded to the refreshments table.

 

"Oh, yeah! I'm hungry too, but I decided to wait for you before getting anything." 

 

"That's so sweet of you, Steve. You really didn't have to do that." Natasha gave him a shy smile.

 

"But I wanted to." He stepped closer and took her arm in his. "Come on. Let's see what they have to offer."

 

"Mm, as long as they have something with cheese, I'll be happy."

 

"Your obsession with chips and dip still disturbs me to this day." 

 

Natasha thumped his arm. "Oh, shush. You know you love me and my quirks."

 

"I do," he replied in a low voice, but she didn't hear it. If she had, the sound of yearning would have told her everything she wanted to hear from him.

 

 _It's okay. We have the whole night ahead of us,_ Steve thought with a smile.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"How long do you think it's gonna take Steve to get the balls to tell her how he feels?"

 

Wanda rolled her eyes and poked her boyfriend's arm. "Bucky. What does it matter? STeve isn't like you. He likes to take things slow. I'm sure he's just waiting for the slow dance to tell her. That way, it'll be more romantic."

 

"Whatever you say, doll. I guess that makes sense since it is **Steve** we're talking about. I'm just hoping that he'll tell her at the dance."

 

The brunette pulled back from resting her head against his chest. A quizzical expression played across her face. "Why at the dance? You want to see them kiss or something?"

 

"Pff, no. I'm not a creep like that. Sam is the one who wants to see them make out all over the dance floor. He's been salivating for it to happen ever since he realized Steve and Natasha liked each other."

 

As it just happened, Sam and Maria were dancing closely to Bucky and Wanda, and overheard what Bucky said.

 

"You're just asking for me to kick your ass, Barnes," Sam replied with a scowl.

 

Maria patted his chest. "Now, now. You know Bucky says those kind of things to rankle you. Just ignore him and enjoy the dance, Sam."

 

His expression softened and he nodded. "Yeah. You're right, Mar."

 

Bucky, being a little shit, couldn't help but say, "God, Sam. You cave so easily. You are a whipped man if I ever saw one."

 

Sam's eyes glared and he moved to grab Bucky, but Maria moved swiftly and got between them, giving Sam a little bump to push him away. 

 

"Hey! Maria. What'd you do that for?"

 

"Just once, I want to have a nice time out with you and not worry about you and Bucky getting into a fight. You guys are like brothers and you love each other, so I don't know why you feel the need to act like idiots in public."

 

Sam grimaced a bit and ducked his head. "That's kind of harsh, babe."

 

"Harsh, but true. You can always rely on me for that." She cupped his chin and held it up until his eyes were locked on hers. "I just want to enjoy being here in your arms without any distractions, okay?"

 

A tiny smile spread on his lips and he said, "I guess I can manage that."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Time passed as the couples danced together on the gymnasium floor. Natasha and Steve had sat at their table and watched everyone for all of the fast dances, opting to talk rather than dance. The mood between them had been a more serious one than before.

 

Both teens were nervous about revealing their secret feelings for each other. After all, what if there were no reciprocation? Still, after the last couple of years, letting it out was worth the chance of being let down. Their friendship was strong enough that it could sustain itself even if there was no chance for anything deeper to come out of it.

 

Eventually, the slow music began starting and they both got up to dance. Maxwell's cover of 'This Woman's Work' began to play on the speakers as Steve and Natasha began to sway to the music. 

 

Natasha rested her head on Steve's shoulder and smiled, feeling happy that she had the foresight to wear shoes with a tiny heel. She and Steve were only a few inches apart in height and she relished the feel of his warm chest against her body.

 

"I've always loved this song, but just Maxwell's version," she said in a hushed tone.

 

"Really? Me too. The original was good, but Maxwell's voice is so ethereal in his cover. When I first heard him sing it, I thought he was a woman."

 

The redhead giggled and pulled back so she could look into Steve's eyes. "That's so funny. I thought the same thing when I first heard it, too. Not that I counted it as a mark against him. I've always had a thing for men with falsetto voices."

 

Steve cleared his throat and replied, "Well, you should hear me sing."

 

"Tsk, there you go, making this about you. Steve, you've forgotten that I _have_ heard you sing, many times. Your voice is too deep to be mistaken for a woman's as you already know, but it's still nice. Especially when you play guitar, too." She entwined their fingers and looked down at his hand. "You have gifted hands, Steve. Artistic ones. Girls would kill for a pair of these." She pressed a kiss to his knuckle and smoothed her thumb over the skin.

 

Her touch made Steve blush. In the entirety of their friendship, she'd never shown such intimate affection towards him. It was always friendly and respectful. Not that she wasn't being respectful now, but there was something a little sensual about her in this moment that had him nervous and curious at the same time.

 

"Girls...like you, for instance?" He stared down at her, his breath hitching. 

 

She smiled and held his hand to her cheek, rubbing her face into it. "Mmhm. Girls like me, but they're not like me. Do you know why?"

 

"By all means, enlighten me."

 

"They don't have you," she replied with a sly grin.

 

"Oh, I didn't know you **had** me."

 

"Yeah, I do. And they can't have you, either."

 

Steve smirked looked over at Sharon, who had a sullen expression as she danced with Brock Rumlow. The girl was glaring at Natasha in obvious jealousy over her dancing partner. It wasn't a secret that the girl had a crush on Steve and hated the closeness of he and Natasha's relationship. 

 

"I dunno, Nat. If Sharon decides to chase me, I may not be strong enough to hold her off."

 

His words had the desired effect. Natasha's eyes widened a bit and she scowled at him, the grip of her hands tightening on his person. She tugged on him so that they were now standing up against each other, pelvis to pelvis.

 

"Oh, you'd better, or else, you'll have **me** to deal with."

 

Realizing where this was going, Steve relaxed. So, Natasha was possessive of him. That was a good sign, as she never felt possessive of anyone, and if she did, it was because she liked the person. Behaving nonchalantly wasn't easy for him since his heart was thumping around in his chest, but he managed. Feigning ignorance, Steve replied, "But what do you have to do with it, Nat?"

 

"I'll show you just what I have to do with it, Steven Grant Rogers." The redhead moved her hand behind his neck and pushed his head down, kissing him hard on the lips. A surprised groan came from his throat and Natasha grinned that she'd caused him to react in such a way.

 

She entwined the fingers on her other hand with Steve's and moaned as he nipped at her upper lip. They stood there for a few moments longer, enjoying the intimacy between them, but eventually, they had to pull apart to catch their breaths.

 

When they did, Natasha's eyes were full of fire and she traced Steve's lips with her thumb. "The only girl I want around you is me," she whispered softly. Their eyes met and the look on her face told Steve everything he needed to know.

 

The blond squeezed her hand. "Nat...what do you mean?"

 

"I want to be with you, Steve." Tears began to fill her eyes as she spoke. "I've felt like this for a long time, but I just...didn't know how to tell you. You always say that we're like brother and sister, but the truth is, I stopped feeling that way about you a long time ago. I didn't...I didn't want to freak you out because I was sure you only saw me as a sibling, but this might be the last time we see each other before you go to college, so I decided to hell with it. I couldn't stand another day passing without letting you know how I feel. If you don't see me that way, I can handle it. Just tell me so I can stop worrying about it."

 

She drew in a deep breath and let a little distance grow between them. However, Steve quickly pulled her back to him and kissed her forehead. "You really know how to talk a guy's ear off, don't you, Nat?"

 

The girl blushed a deep scarlet and bit her lip, looking at the floor. Steve had never seen her so nervous and awkward before. Normally, she was completely relaxed and in her element, but it was clear that telling him how she felt made her feel exposed.

 

"I guess so," she said quietly, head bowed.

 

Steve held her chin up until her eyes locked on to his. He gently brushed her tears away with his thumbs while she sniffled. She was so beautiful to him, even now with her cheeks red and her eyes damp.  

 

"I wish you wouldn't cry, Natalia," he said gently, speaking her Russian name. 

 

"Why shouldn't I? I've embarrassed myself and now, you probably feel sorry for me." There was a slight tinge of bitterness in her voice as her eyes lowered again.

 

"Nat, that isn't true. I don't feel sorry for you. If anything, I'm relieved. Here I was, planning to tell you that I love you and you've already reciprocated."

 

The redhead gasped and looked up at him. "What? You love me??"

 

He placed his hands on both sides of her cheeks and held his forehead against hers. "Yes. I liked you from the first moment I saw you and every day, I fell deeper in love with you. I was going to tell you tonight, but you beat me to the punch."

 

More tears sprang out of Natasha's eyes, but this time, they were happy tears. "Really?"

 

"Really. You're not alone, red. And as for the whole college thing, I've decided to take a couple of months off before I enroll. That means I'll be in New York and you'll be at the ballet company, so we can still see each other." Steve kissed her forehead again and she gripped his hands.

 

"You...you decided this just so we could be together a little longer?"

 

"I did. Consider it my graduation gift to you. Oh, and we're going to Willie's after the dance to celebrate. I know how much you love their corned beef and cabbage. Besides, it's not like the stuff they give us here filled us up."

 

Natasha covered her face with her hands and her shoulders shook as she laughed. After a few moments of this, she finally looked up at him and pressed her lips to his. Her hands gripped the sides of his jacket and she clung to him as if she were afraid she would lose him.

 

"Steve," she murmured, pulling back to face him again. "I can't believe this is happening, but thank you. That's the best graduation present I could ever imagine."

 

"I'm glad you feel that way, Nat. Like you said, we have what we have when we have it, but in his case, I'm going to make sure you and I have plenty of time together before I leave for college. When I do go, don't think I'm just gonna forget about you, because I won't."

 

"You mean it?" Hope shone brightly in her eyes.

 

"Definitely. I plan on being in your life for a long time, Natalia Alianovna Romanova, and there no way I'm going to let you slip through my fingers. But let's not talk about that now. Let's just live in the moment." He grazed her cheek with his hand and bent down to kiss her again.

 

All of the pent-up emotions they both had been feeling towards each other were released through the kiss. Natasha's heart soared because after so many sleepless nights of yearning to be in Steve's arms like this, she finally got her wish.

 

Now, they belonged to each other.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Earlier today, I gave a fellow Marvel fanfiction writer a few funny lines for an "I Never Ever" game in a story that she's writing. Then I realized I could use all of my suggestions for a series of ficlet prompts featuring Steve and Nat! Turns out helping her helped me, and now, I have a reenergised creative muse! Oh, listen to the This Woman's Work cover by Maxwell. It's so beautiful and romantic and it really fits well with Steve and Natasha - then again, most romance songs make me think about them anyway. :D


End file.
